Entries in Energy efficiency
(1)

The University of Louisville is answering Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear's call to lead Kentucky's research efforts in renewable energy research and sustainability issues. In collaboration with the state, UofL established the Conn Center for Renewable Energy Research at the J.B. Speed School of Engineering in 2009.

The Conn Center provides leadership, research, support and policy development in renewable energy; advances the goal of renewable energy; and promotes technologies, practices, and programs that increase efficiency for energy utilization in homes, businesses, and public buildings.

To accomplish these objectives, the Conn Center conducts and facilitates R&D on potentially commercializable renewable energy and energy efficient technologies. The Center promotes partnerships among the state's colleges and universities, private industries, and non-profit organizations to actively pursue federally and privately funded research and development resources that are dedicated to renewable energy solutions, including:

• Advanced Energy Materials Manufacturing

• Solar Energy Conversion

• Renewable Energy Storage

• Biofuels/Biomass Conversions

• Energy Efficiency & Conservation

The center employs top-notch scientists and engineers as theme leaders for directing these research thrusts and to enable collaborations with faculty researchers and industry partners across the state. The Conn Center has developed unique, state-of the art, translational research facilities in the following areas: scalable manufacturing R&D of advanced nanoscale materials; roll-to-roll manufacturing R&D for solar technologies; and lithium ion battery fabrication. The Center is now developing facilities for solid-state lithium ion battery manufacturing R&D and also hosts a number of pre-pilot scale processing tools for converting various waste and biomass streams to fuels/chemicals. In addition, the Conn Center maintains test facilities for solar photovoltaics, solar fuels, lithium ion batteries, and fuel cells, a materials characterization facility, and an ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy facility.

The Center’s main objective is to foster development of transformational concepts and accelerate the translation of technology concepts from the lab to pre-commercial scale via large-scale device prototyping. Through innovative R&D at an accelerated pace and development of Kentucky’s workforce and renewable resources, the Center's ongoing goal is to seek outcomes that enhance global energy security, maintain US technological leadership, and improve high-tech manufacturing activity in Kentucky.